Refrigerating apparatus



E. DICKEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS March 10, 1931.-

Filed March 25, 1929 Patented Mar. 10, 1931 PATENT ERNEST DIOKEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed March 25, 1929. Serial No. 349,798.

This inventionrelates to refrigerating apparatus. This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 1,090, filed January 7, 1925, for

refrigerating apparatus.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus or method for furnishing a refrigeration to a plurality of cabinets, or the like, in such a manner that the temperatures with- 10 in the cabinets may be individually controlled.

Thus it is possible'to change either the temperature within the cabinet itself or within the freezing compartment with which the cooling units in the cabinets of this type are generally provided. v

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view, somewhat diagrammatic, of an apparatus embodying features of this invention. 7

Fig. 2 is. an elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of an evaporator for use in this apparatus.

A refrigerating system embodying features of this invention may be provided with means to cause circulation of a cooling medium, such means being generally designated as 40. Such means may be capable of receiving evaporated refrigerant, liquefying said refrigerant and delivering the liquefied refrigerant, when a volatile refrigerant is used. Such means may be connected to a cooling medium circulation system, and, in the preferred form, such system may include a liquid refrigerant distributing line generally designated as 47 and an evaporated refrigerant collecting line generally designated as 45. The refrigerant collecting line 45 may be provided with two branches 29 and 36. These 45 two branches may be maintained at different pressures by any suitable means. Preferably these different pressures may be obtained by providing an automatic pressure regulating valve 50 adapted to maintain a higher pressure in the branch 36 than in the branch 29.

This valve may be of the type disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 1,090. As dis closed in that application, such a system is capable of maintaining different temperatures in various evaporators. A soda fountain, generally designated as 20, may be provided with two chambers to be cooled and designated as 26 and 32. The chamber 26 may be provided with an evaporator 25 and chamber 32 may be provided with an evaporator 31. These evaporators may be of any suitable construction and preferably they are of the type disclosed in the co-pending application of Jesse G. King and Sylvester M. Schweller Serial No. 670,537, filed October 23, 1923, or

in the patent to Robert G. Osborn 1,556,708,

patented October 13, 1925. Thus it will be seen that, because the branch 36 is at a different and higher pressure than the branch 29, the evaporator 25 is maintained at a cooler temperature than the evaporator 31. The branches 29 and 36 may be continued to other parts of the building together with the'line 47. Various evaporators may be connected with the distributing line 47, and may be connected either permanently or selectively with either of the collecting branches 29 or 36. Thus a water cooler 100 may have its evaporator connected with the distributing line 17 and with the collectingbranch 36. Should the branch 36 be maintained at a pressure not quite suitable for water cooling temperatures a valve 50a may be interposed in the connection from the evaporator to the branch 36. This valve 50a may be of the type disclosed in my application for refrigerating apparatus, Serial No. 349,796, executed concurrently herewith. It is obvious that if the branch 36 is maintained at too high a pressure for water cooling purposes or the like, that the evaporator of the water cooler 100 might be connected to the branch 29 instead. The water cooler 100, preferably, though not necessarily, may be of the type disclosed in the co-pending application of John A. Macready Serial No. 296,239 filed July 30, 1928.

An ice cream cabinet 101 may be provided with an evaporator 102 of any suitable type, such as that heretofore referred to, and it may have its inlet connected by the pipe 103 withthe distributing line 47 and its outlet may be connected by the pipe 104 with the collecting branch 29.

Cabinets 105 may be provided with evaporators 106 of the type heretofore referred to and more or less diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3. These evaporators may be provided with freezing trays 107 for freezing ice cubes in the well known manner. The inlets of these evaporators may be connected by means of the pipes 108 with the liquid recated in Fig. 2. It is to be noted that in some systems it is desirable to provide a continuous downward gradient in the refrigerant return'line because of the lubricant return, and, when such is the case, the pipes 109 would be placed so that they would also be on the same level or in a lower position than the pipes 112. ThlS can be accomplished by considering the showing of the pipes 109 to 112 inclusive as a horizontal plan view rather than as a side elevation, so that the pipes 112, 109 and 110 are substantially in the same horizontal plane. If desired, the two way valve may be provided with indicating means 114 and a pointer 115 for indicating the connectionbetween the evaporator and the remainder of the system.

It is to be seen that the individual users of the cabinets 105 may selectively connect the evaporators 106 with either of the branches 29 or 36 and thus they are able to secure different temperatures within the evaporators.

Means 40 may include an electrically driven motor 41, a compressor 116, and the usual condenser, not shown, which may include a receiver 117 with whichthe line 47 may be connected. An automatic switch 80 may be-connected by means of the pipe 85 with the collecting line 45 in order to cause the means 40 .to maintain the line 45 within predetermined pressure. The automatic. means 80 may comprise an expansible bellows con- I nected to the pipe 85 which actuates a snap switch which controls the starting and stopping of the motor 41 as more fully described 1n my application Serial No. 1,090, heretofore referred to. 1 1

Thus it is seen that there has been provided means for circulating a cooling medium to a plurality of cooling units, such means being connected with a cooling medium distributing line and with a cooling medium collectin line and in which one of the lines is provi ed with two branches wherein the cooling medium is maintained in a condition the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A- refrigerating system comprising means for circulating a cooling medium, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of cooling units in said cabinets, a cooling medium distributing line connected to said means and units, a cooling medium collecting line connected to said means and units, one of said lines comprising, two branches wherein the cooling medium is maintained in a condition to impart differenttemperattires from said branches respectively to said cooling units, and means to connect selectively either branch to any of said units and to disconnect the other branch.

2. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant, liquefyin said refrigerant and delivering said lique ed refrigerant, a plurality of cabi nets, a plurality of evaporators in said-cabinets, a liquid refrigerant distributing line connected to said evaporators and to said means, an evaporated refrigerant collecting line connected to said evaporators and said means, one of said lines comprising two branches wherein the refrigerant is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures fromsaid branches respectively to said evaporators, and means to connect selectiyely either branch to any of said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch.

3. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant,

liquefying said refrigerant and delivering said liquefied refrigerant, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of evaporators in said cabinets, a liquid refrigerant distributing line connected to said evaporators and to said means, an evaporated refrigerant collecting line connected to said evaporators and said means, said refrigerant collecting line comprising two branches wherein the refrigerant is inaintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from said branches respectively to said evaporators, and means to connect selectively either branch to any of 'said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch.

4. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant,

liquefyingsaid refrigerant and delivering said liquefied refrigerant, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of evaporators in said cabinets, a liquid distributing line connected to said evaporators and to said means, an evaporatedrefrigerant collecting line connected to said evaporators and said means, said refrigerant collecting line comprising two branches wherein the refrigerant is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from said branches respectively to said evaporators, and means to connect selectively either branch to any of said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch and means for maintaining said evaporators in a substantially flooded condition.

5. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant, liquefying said refrigerant and delivering said liquefied refrigerant, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of evaporators in said cabinets, a liquid refrigerant distributing line connected to said evaporators and to said,

means, an evaporated refrigerant collecting line connected to said evaporators and said means, said refrigerant collecting line comprising two branches wherein the refrigerant is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from said branch respectively to said evaporators, and means to connect selectively eitherbranch to any of said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch and float controlled inlet valves in said evaporators for maintaining said evapo rators in a flooded condition.

6. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant, liquefying said refrigerant and delivering said liquefied refrigerant, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of evaporators in said cabinets, a liquidrefrigerant distributing line connected to said evaporators and to said means, an evaporated refrigerant collecting line connected to said evaporators and said means, one of said lines comprising two branches wherein the refrigerant is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from said branches respectively to said evaporators, and means to connect selectively either branch to any of said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch, said last named means being capable of disconnecting both of said branches.

7. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant, liquefying said refrigerant and delivering said liquefied refrigerant, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of evaporators in said cabinets, a liquid refrigerant distributing line connected to said evaporators and to said means, an evaporated refrigerant collecting line connected to said evaporators and said means, said refrigerant collecting line comprising two branches wherein the .refriger ant is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from said branches respectively to said evaporators, and means to, connect selectively either branch to any of said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch, said last named means being capable of disconnecting both of said branches.

8. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant, liquefying said refrigerant and delivering said liquefied refrigerant, a plurality of cabinets a plurality of evaporators in said cabnets, a liquid refrigerant distributing line connected to said evaporators and to said means, an evaporated refrigerant collecting,

line connected to said evaporators and said means, said refrigerant collecting line comprising two branches wherein the refrigerant is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from-said branches respectively to said evaporators, and means to connect selectively either branch to any of said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch said last named means being capable of disconnecting both of said branches and means for maintaining said evaporators in a substantially flooded condition.

9. A refrigerating system comprising means for receiving evaporated refrigerant, liquefying said refrigerant and delivering said liquefied refrigerant, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of evaporators in said cabinets, a liquid refrigerant distributing line connectedto said evaporators and to said means, an evaporated refrigerant collecting line connected to said evaporators and said means, said refrigerant collecting line comprising two branches wherein the refrigerant is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from said branch respectively to said evaporators, and means to connect selectively either branch to any of said evaporators and to disconnect the other branch, said last named means being capable of disconnecting both of said branches, and float controlled inlet valves in said evaporators for maintaining said evaporators in a flooded condition.

10. A refrigerating system comprising means for circulating a. cooling medium, a plurality of cabinets, a plurality of cooling units in said cabinets, cooling medium distributing and collecting means connecting said means for circulating a cooling medium with said cooling units, said cooling medium distributing and collecting means including a line comprising two branches wherein the cooling medium is maintained in a condition to impart different temperatures from said branches respectively to said cooling units, and means to connect selectively either branch to any of said units and to disconnect the other branch.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

ERNEST DICKEY. 

